Cooper Benson
by LilBenson2004
Summary: This is a story about Olivia's daughter Cooper. Cooper grew up in foster care until she was nine and then has lived on the street ever since. This follows how Cooper and Olivia become a family again.
1. Chapter 1

Cooper walked down the alley looking for anything she could sell or eat. It had been a few days since her last good meal. Being homeless and living in an abandoned house didn't lend to getting fed regularly. Not that Cooper would change her situation for anything. Being homeless was better than foster care. She knelt down to look through a bag of trash when a trashcan crashed down behind her. She looked up and saw a little girl stumbling from where she had fallen. Cooper thought about ignoring the little girl but when she got closer and saw the angle of her arm and her blood soaked clothes she couldn't ignore her. Cooper stood up and slowly moved towards the little girl.

"Hey little one, you okay?" Cooper knelt in front of the girl. The girl was shaking from head to toe. Her eyes kept scanning back and forth. A crash came from around the corner and the little girl jumped.

"He's coming! He's coming!" Cooper looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Who's coming?" Cooper figured it out when a man came stumbling around the corner. She stood up and pushed the little girl behind her. Cooper was normally a person who used to flight response more than her fight but this guy needed to be taught a lesson.

Cooper sized up the man and wasn't sure she could take him on but was going to try. She could feel the little girl's fingers digging into the back of her legs as she hid behind her. The man looked around wildly. He kept moving closer and Cooper kept moving back. She reached back and held the little girl close to her.

"Where is she? Where are you, Little Bitch?" The man was within reach. Cooper had to turn her head so she didn't gag from the stench of his breath.

"I have no idea who you're talking about." Cooper wracked her brain trying to come up with a way for her and the little girl to get away.

"Tell me, Bitch!" Cooper reached up and wiped away the spit that landed on her face. She glared at the man and stood up taller.

"No calls me a bitch!" Cooper kicked the guy and the spun around. She picked up the girl and started running towards the street behind her.

The little girl was dead weight and Cooper knew she needed a hospital. Cooper was almost to the street when she heard the bang and felt the pain in her arm. She fell forward but managed to catch herself before she face planted. She glanced over and saw blood pouring from the side of her arm. After taking a second to declare the wound wasn't that bad she took off again. The little girl she was carrying screamed before passing out. Cooper pushed herself to start running again even though every part of her body said to stop. She half ran/ half stumbled to the nearest hospital. She stumbled into the ER and stopped. A nurse noticed her and came over.

"She needs help!" The nurse nodded and took the little girl from Cooper.

The little girl woke up at being moved and clung to Cooper's shirt. Cooper tried to fight the little girl off but she wouldn't let go. The nurse finally called over and orderly who managed to pull the little girl away and get her on a gurney.

"No! Don't leave me!" Cooper wanted to run. She wasn't meant to be in any hospital rescuing a little girl. The rules of the group clearly stated that the group is supposed to stay out of sight. Cooper had just broken the biggest rule by helping this girl.

"I have to go! Here keep this! If you have this we will always be together!" Cooper pulled the necklace she was wearing off her neck. She handed it to the girl who wrapped her hand around it. The necklace was silver and said 'Cooper'. She was given the necklace when she was born by her birth mother. No matter how bad things got Cooper always refused to part with her necklace until now.

Cooper took off towards the door even though the nurse was trying to stop her. She stumbled into somebody and when she looked up stopped in her tracks. Cooper stared at the woman she had just run into before getting her bearings back and taking off out the door. She could hear the woman yelling for her but Cooper just kept going. Cooper ran all the way back to the house the group was crashing in. When she got back she ran up to the room she was staying in and pulled out her bag. She dug through until she came across the photo album she had. She flipped through until the page fell open to a newspaper clipping. She stared at the newspaper clipping and sat down on the floor. The woman she had run into was staring at her from the clipping. She had run into her mother, Olivia Benson.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated my other stories. I lost the hard copies and then lost my view on I'm a Benson-Cabot. Hopefully, this will make up for not having updated that story in a long time. My goal is to do a chapter a week but if I can't then i'm going to try and do two chapters in one week. Anyway, here is chapter two of Cooper Benson.**

Olivia Benson and Nick Amaro were walking into the hospital ER. They have received a call about a rape victim being brought it. They were coming through the door when someone ran into Olivia. Olivia steadied herself and the person before making sure the girl that ran into her was okay. The girl pulled away after having frozen for a second and Olivia got a sinking suspicion that she knew this girl from somewhere. Olivia followed Nick into the ER trying to shake the feeling.

"You okay? That girl looked like she was trying to take you out." Olivia nodded and reached over to wipe off the sleeve of her jacket. She pulled her hand back and found blood on it.

"Yea, she may not be though. There is blood all over my coat where she ran into me." Amaro nodded and helped Olivia remove her coat. The nurse that had helped Cooper and the little girl came walking over.

"Detectives, your victim is in bay two. We also just had a young girl come in. She was dropped off by an older girl who was also injured but took off before we could treat her." Olivia nodded and pointed to her jacket.

"We met. She ran into me on the way out. Do you have any idea who she was?" The nurse shook her head.

"No, she gave the little girl a necklace though. It may be able to help you." Olivia nodded.

Olivia and Nick both walked towards bay two. They were going to have to deal with one victim at a time. When they got to bay two both stopped as a blood-curdling scream came from the next bay. Olivia looked at Nick and he nodded before she headed to the next bay. Olivia stepped inside and three nurses and two orderlies were trying to hold down a little girl. Olivia whistled and they all five looked at her.

"What are you doing? Let her go!" Olivia growled. All three nurses let go and backed away. The little girl curled up on the bed and wrapped her good arm around her knees. Olivia walked over and knelt down next to the girl's bed.

"Please don't hurt me," the little girl whimpered. Olivia nodded and slowly reached out her hand. She brushed some hair behind the little girl's ear. The little girl flinched away and Olivia lowered her hand.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you. My name is Olivia, can you tell me your name?" The little girl shook her head and Olivia just wanted to wrap her arms around her and hold her tight.

"Where is the girl that helped me? She got shot. Jackson hurt her! You have to help her!" The little girl began to get agitated and Olivia stood up before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"We're gonna help her too but first I need your help so I can help her." The little girl nodded and scooted closer to Olivia.

"What do you need me to tell you?" Olivia pulled out her notebook and got ready to write down whatever the little girl told her.

"Do you know the girl's name?" The little girl shook her head.

"No, she gave me this though." The little girl handed Olivia the necklace that the other girl had given up. Olivia looked at the necklace and her stomach rose to her throat. She swallowed and then stood up. She knew this necklace. She had given this necklace to her baby girl the day she was born.

"I'll be right back." Olivia walked out of the room and stood in the hallway.

She stared down at the necklace in her hand. Her baby had kept her necklace all these years. That's why the girl that ran by looked so familiar she saw herself in the girl's face. Nick came walking up to Olivia and tapped her shoulder. Olivia jumped and looked up at Nick. Nick held his hands up and Olivia held the necklace tightly in her hand.

"Hey, you okay?" Olivia nodded.

"Yea, I know who the girl that ran is…" Nick pulled out his notebook ready to write down all her information.

"What do you got?" Olivia told Nick about the necklace and about how the victim had said that the girl had been shot. Olivia wanted to tell someone that the girl that was shot could be her daughter but she couldn't get the words to come out of her mouth.

"We have to find her. Call Cragen and have him put out an APB. Hopefully, we can find her before it's too late. I'm gonna go talk to the little girl again." Nick nodded as Olivia walked away. She still had the necklace in her hand.

Olivia walked back into the room and the girl was laying on her side facing the door. Her face lit up when Olivia walked through. Olivia couldn't help but smile at the girl. The little girl sat up and Olivia sat on the edge of the bed. As soon as Olivia sat down the girl crawled into her lap.

"Did you find the other girl?" Olivia shook her head and the little girl looked down at the bed.

"We will though… I need to know who you are though. Can you tell me your name?" The little girl looked up at Olivia before looking around.

"Mackenzie, is Jackson gonna come back and get me?" Olivia shook her head. She wasn't quite sure who Jackson was but he was never going to hurt this little girl again.

"No, can you tell me who Jackson is?" Mackenzie curled up closer into Olivia.

"My foster daddy, he's mean and beat me before I ran away. Then he hurt the girl that tried to help me." Olivia nodded and wrapped an arm around Mackenzie as she started to cry.

"Shhh, he's going to be put in prison… Do you know where he lived?" Mackenzie nodded and then gave Olivia her address. Olivia left the room again and headed towards the hospital entrance. She wanted this guy dead. He had not only hurt Mackenzie but he had possibly shot her daughter and that didn't sit well with Olivia.

Olivia knew one thing and that was she was going to find the girl that could be her daughter and do whatever she needed to make sure when she was okay. Deep in her heart she knew that the girl was her daughter and she was in a world of danger.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here we go Chapter 3! Sorry it's a few days late but better late than never! Disclaimer: I only own my own characters. Not Law and Order: SVU

Cooper was pulled out of her stupor when she heard someone open her bedroom door. She looked up to see her friend, Jake standing there. Jake walked in and stared down at Cooper. Cooper looked up at Jake before looking back at her book. She flipped the page and looking at another page.

"I don't understand why you hold onto that. She didn't want you then and she doesn't want you now." Cooper glared up at Jake before closing the book and putting it back in her bag.

"That's none of your business… Do you still have those new fish hooks?" Jake nodded and then looked over to where Cooper was fiddling with her arm.

"What happened to you?" Cooper stood up and shrugged off her jacket. She got the first look at her arm.

"I got shot by some quack. You think you can stitch it up?" Jake looked at Cooper's arm and nodded.

"Yea, it's gonna hurt though." Cooper shrugged.

Cooper and Jake both headed down to the great room. Jake grabbed the new hooks he'd just bought. He threaded one with the thread he had and then looked at Cooper's arm again. Cooper looked at the hook before biting down on a spare piece of cloth. Jake slowly sowed up Cooper's arm. She got lucky and the wound wasn't as bad as originally thought. A few stitches would fix it up.

Jake quickly sowed up Cooper's arm. She looked over once he was done. Jake was the best at sowing things. He was the one the group went to when things needed fixed. Cooper shrugged a clean shirt on and wiggled her arm. It hurt like nobodies business. Cooper went into the kitchen and pulled open the freezer. She pulled out a bottle of tequila and took a few swigs. She would have drunk more if Damien, another member of the group wasn't yelling for her.

"What?" Cooper walked into the foyer and was bombarded by a paper with her face on it.

"What is this? We have a rule and that's that no one brings the cops around. Why are the cops looking for you?" Cooper took the paper and sighed. They had pulled her picture from the hospital security -cams. She was being looked for in connection with a crime that took place.

"This means you gotta go," Jake said. Cooper nodded and dropped the paper. She knew breaking the rule would come back to bite her in the ass.

"I got it. I'm gonna go pack… Although it's funny because I made up the rules when I started this group. You would think that would get me some lenience but I guess you really can't trust anybody." Cooper went upstairs and packed her bag. She was getting ready to leave when Damien's five-year-old brother, Markus came in.

"Where you going?" Cooper knelt down in front of Markus and hugged him.

"I broke the rules so I gotta go. Wherever I am I will always keep an eye on you." Markus gave Cooper and hug and then Cooper got up and left.

Cooper left the clubhouse and walked down the street. She wasn't sure where she was going to go but she's gotten by before and she'd get by again. Cooper walked until she found an abandoned warehouse. She walked inside and found a place to rest. Her arm was killing her. Cooper lay down and closed her eyes. She just hoped it didn't get too cold.

A few days after Cooper left the clubhouse she was feeling worse for wear. Her arm was infected and she hadn't eaten in a few days. Cooper left the warehouse and headed down the street. She was almost to the street corner when someone slammed into her. Cooper looked back to see a cop putting handcuffs in her.

"What are you doing?!" The cop put Cooper in the back of his car.

"Taking you down to the station. Now be a good girl and keep your mouth shut." Cooper sat back in the car and kicked the partition.

"Can you at least tell me what I did?" The cop ignored Cooper and drove to the station.

Once they arrived the cop took Cooper to intake. Cooper still wasn't sure what she had done. Once Cooper had gone through intake the cop stuck her in a cell. Cooper just glared at the cop. He stuck her in the cell and the stood in there with her.

"Glaring at me isn't going to save you little girl. I can't wait until the SVU detectives get a hold of you." The cop left and went to leave.

"Me neither. I'll make sure they have your badge. Pretty sure the flyer just said to be brought in for questioning not arrested." The cop turned around and grabbed Cooper. He lifted her off the ground so she was eye level with him.

"Don't threaten me. I know how to do my job! You hear me!?" Cooper just stared at the cop. She saw Olivia walk up to the cell.

"What the hell are you doing!?" When the cop was distracted Cooper kicked him in his privates.

The cop went down and dropped Cooper who landed on the bench with a thud. Cooper groaned and rolled off her bad arm. Olivia came in the cell and helped Cooper up. They walked out and left the cop lying on the floor. Olivia took Cooper upstairs and into an interrogation room. Cooper sat down and Olivia sat down across from her. Cooper held up her hands that were handcuffed in front of her.

"Sorry, I'm not sure what that cop was thinking. I'm Detective Olivia Benson." Cooper shrugged and then cringed as pain shot through her arm. She wasn't feeling well at all. Sweat was beginning to form along her hairline and her vision was blurry. She wasn't sure if it was because she handed on bad arm or if she was really sick. Cooper knew who Olivia was but played it off like she didn't.

Olivia noticed Cooper's movements and wondered if Cooper had had her arm looked at. She unhooked the handcuffs and held onto Cooper's wrist for a second. She could feel a scar under her thumb. Cooper pulled her arm away and Olivia dropped her hand. Cooper and Olivia stared at each other before Olivia looked down at the file in front of her and Cooper stared at the table. They sat like that for a few minutes before Cooper spoke up.

"So, can I ask why I was arrested? I thought I was only wanted for information." Olivia looked at the file in front of her before looking up at Cooper.

"You weren't supposed to be arrested. I apologize for the NYPD… So, you were a witness to a crime and then ran. Can you tell me why you ran?" Olivia watched Cooper and noticed something was off about her.

"It's okay… I'm seventeen years old and I live on the street. We had one rule in our gang and that was to stay under the radar." Cooper glanced up from where she was staring at the table to look at Olivia. A million thoughts were running through Cooper's mind. She was within reach of her mother and Olivia didn't even know it. Or so Cooper thought. Olivia had a million thoughts running through her mind. She wanted to know why her little girl lived on the streets and not in a suitable home.

"How long have you been homeless?" Olivia knew it wasn't a question that needed to be asked but she desperately wanted to know how long her baby girl had been taking care of herself.

"Since I was nine… I'm sorry but what does my homelessness have to do with the case." Cooper was now watching Olivia.

"Just getting some background information… can you tell me your full name and birthday?" Cooper didn't want to say her last name.

"Cooper; October 31, 1996." Olivia held her breath as Cooper spit out her birthday. That was the day her baby was born.

"Can you tell me what happened on September 12th?" Cooper thought back to the day that her whole life changed. The day she was kicked out of the group and became the one thing the group kept them from being, an orphan.

"I was looking for something to eat or sell when the little girl came falling into the alley. She looked terrified and had blood dripping from her forehead and a broken arm. She was freaking out about 'HIM' coming. Next thing I knew was a man came into the alley looking for the little girl. I stood between them and after the man called me a bitch I kicked him and took off with the little girl. I was almost to the end of the alley when a shot rang out. Next thing I knew blood was dripping from my arm and I was running to the hospital. I dropped off the girl and left… If I'm not mistaken I ran into you on my way out." Olivia nodded. Cooper ran her hand over her face. Before leaning forward and propping herself up on her hand.

"Are you feeling okay?" Cooper nodded even though pain shot through her head.

"Is there anyway I can get some water?" Olivia nodded and jumped up. She left to get Cooper some water. Cooper rested her head on the table. She really didn't feel well. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Olivia came back into the interrogation room and noticed Cooper didn't look too well. She knelt down next to Cooper and ran her fingers down Cooper's cheek. Cooper jumped at the contact and Olivia noticed that Cooper was burning up.

"Cooper, can you sit up for me? I'm gonna help you remove your jacket. You're burning up." Cooper sat up but her head bobbed forward. Olivia caught her and leaned her back against the chair.

Olivia helped Cooper removed her jacket. She gasped when she saw Cooper's arm. It was seeping and black. Cooper looked over at Olivia and Olivia's heart broke. She looked like a sick little girl and Olivia wanted nothing more than to hold her in her arms. Olivia ran her hand down Cooper's cheek again and Cooper leaned into the touch.

"I think I need some air." Cooper tried to stand up but ended up falling forward. Olivia caught Cooper and lowered both of them to the ground. Olivia realized that Cooper had passed out. She reached over and swung the door open.

"Call a bus!" Olivia held Cooper close and ran her fingers through Cooper's hair. She prayed that Cooper ended up being okay. Even if Cooper wasn't her daughter she had won Olivia's heart over just by interrogating her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, so here is chapter 4! Whoo hoo! Now I need your opinions. People are asking how Olivia and Cooper got seperated. Some people have asked if Cooper is was kidnapped or if Olivia gave her up. Well, it's up to you guys. At least I'm willing to listen to your opinion. Let me know what you think. Disclaimer: I only own my own characters!**

Olivia rode along with Cooper to the hospital. She played it off like she wanted to stay with the victim. Finn followed in a car, he knew something was up with Olivia but wasn't sure what. The paramedics and doctors rushed Cooper back into an ER bay. Olivia was told to wait in the waiting room. Olivia paced back and forth waiting to hear what the doctor had to say. Cooper's arm looked incredibly gross and smelt even worse. Olivia was afraid if they couldn't get rid of the infection what they would do. She was also worried because it looked like Cooper or someone had tried to stitch up Cooper's arm. Olivia just wondered with what. Olivia was chewing on her bottom lip and pacing when Finn walked in. He walked over to Olivia and tapped her on the shoulder. Olivia jumped and looked at Finn.

"Hey Baby Girl, how's Cooper?" Olivia shrugged and began pacing again.

Finn watched for a few minutes. He had figured out why Olivia was so worried but didn't know if she knew. As he was leaving the station an officer handed Finn a photo album that came from Cooper's bag. He had flipped through it and seen all the news clippings of Olivia. The front of the book said 'MOM'. Finn wanted to ask Olivia but didn't want to upset her anymore than she already was.

"They haven't said anything. Her arm looked horrible. Finn…" Finn saw the look in Olivia's eyes and knew that Olivia knew the truth.

"I know, Baby Girl, I know." Finn held out his arms and Olivia walked into them. He hugged her and she cried on his shoulder. Olivia pulled herself together and sat down in one of the waiting room chairs. Finn sat down next to her and handed over the photo album.

"What's this?" Olivia asked.

"A photo album they found in Cooper's stuff… Liv, it's all about you." Olivia looked at Finn before looking at the book.

Olivia ran her hand over the word 'MOM' before opening the book. She fought back a sob as she looked at all the news clippings. She wasn't sure how Cooper had gotten some of them. They were from when she first started as an officer. Right after she had Cooper. Cooper had written stuff in the margins. Most of it was nice but some of it made Olivia's heart ache. One article was about when her and Elliot were partners and they had helped a little girl being abused by her father. Cooper had written how special it was that Olivia could help other children but not her own. Olivia didn't know how long Cooper had known that she was her mother but she was going to find out.

Olivia was lost looking at the book that she didn't notice the doctor come out of the ER. He walked over to where the front desk nurse pointed and cleared his throat. Finn and Olivia both looked up. Olivia wanted to stand up but couldn't move from her spot. She didn't have DNA evidence but as far as she was concerned Cooper was her Cooper.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Kensington, are you Cooper's family?" Olivia finally stood up with Finn's help.

"I'm Detective Olivia Benson, I rode in the ambulance with her." The doctor nodded.

"Okay, do you know if Cooper has any family?" Olivia and Finn shook her head. Olivia wasn't sure how to proceed. Technically she was Cooper's family but she wasn't sure she should tell the doctor yet.

"As far as we know Cooper doesn't have any family. Can you tell us how Cooper is doing?" Finn said.

"We were able to get her stable. We removed the thread that was stitching her arm together and have her on a high dose of antibiotics. She's been sedated and she is in a sterile room." Olivia nodded as she took in the information.

"Can I see her?" Olivia asked.

The doctor nodded and signaled for them to follow him. The doctor led them to a window where they could see Cooper through. She was hooked up to a bunch of machines. Olivia covered her mouth with her hands. She took a few deep breaths to keep from crying. Finn rested his hand on her shoulder.

"We're gonna need a DNA sample… to check if she has family in the system," Finn said. Olivia looked at Finn shocked. She knew he was going to have Melinda run it against her DNA to see if it was a match.

"I can get you some once she starts getting better. She has a blood infection so any sample we take now will be tainted." Olivia and Finn nodded. Olivia never looked away from where Cooper was laying in the bed. Olivia's hands tightened on the photo album.

"How long do you think she'll be in the sterile room?" The doctor shrugged.

"We won't know more until she starts responding to the antibiotics. Hopefully, we will no more within the next 48 hours… I have other patients to see but have a nurse page me if you have any other questions." Olivia and Finn nodded. Finn shook the doctors hand before the doctor walked away.

"Finn, if she doesn't make it… I will never be able forgive myself." Finn wrapped his arms around Olivia and let her cry into his shoulder.

Olivia watched Cooper's heart monitor. The steady beat made Olivia feel calmer. She was still alive. Olivia had been able to save her before it was too late. Finn left Olivia standing there so she could say goodnight to Cooper in private. Well, as private as a hospital hallway can get. Olivia followed Finn and left the hospital. Every ounce of her being told her to go back and be with Cooper but she couldn't get into the room and standing in the hallway may look strange.

Finn and Olivia headed into the precinct and up to SVU. They walked in and went to their separate desks. Finn kept an eye on Olivia to make sure she was okay. Olivia tried to concentrate on paperwork but her mind kept going back to Cooper. After trying to do paperwork for half an hour Olivia gave up. She grabbed the file for the Mackenzie and flipped through it for the millionth time. They were able to solve the case without Cooper's help but Olivia had talked Cragen into not cancelling the APB because Cooper was hurt. Really, Olivia just wanted Cooper brought in. She was going to make things right with Cooper. Even if Cooper didn't want the help.


	5. Chapter 5

Cooper woke up and looked around. She saw all the machines and knew she was in the hospital. Cooper hated hospitals, one because she had spent some time there when she was younger and two because if she was in the hospital that meant a record would be made. Records weren't good when you were trying to stay under the children services radar. Cooper sat up and groaned when pain shot through her head. She looked around and realized that she was in a private room. Curtains were pulled over a window.

Cooper slid out of bed and looked around. She had to find a way to get out. She glanced at the clock and it said 10pm. Cooper looked around for something else to put on but couldn't find anything. She pulled the sheet off her bed and made a makeshift skirt. Cooper had to plan this out just right. If she didn't then a nurse would catch her before she could get loose. Cooper pulled the IV from her arm and hissed when it burned. She stuck her thumb over the hole to stop if from bleeding. She looked at her arm and realized the bullet wound wasn't wrapped or anything. Cooper tore part of the sheet off and wrapped it around her arm.

When Cooper felt she was stable enough to run she walked to the door. She pulled it open hoping that no one was outside or it didn't set of an alarm. Cooper looked around and didn't see anybody. She snuck out and headed down the hallway. She found a stairwell and ran down the stairs. She found a backdoor and pushed it open. An alarm sounded but Cooper just took off. She ran down the street and around the corner. Cooper stopped and tried to figure out where to go. She couldn't go back to the clubhouse because they had probably moved on by now and cops went by there frequently.

Cooper walked down the street knowing she couldn't stay out very long. She looked horrible and if any cop saw her she would be hauled back to the hospital. Cooper walked down an alley. She knew the backstreets better than the main ones. She knew she'd need help and just hoped the person she was thinking of wouldn't put her back in the hospital. Cooper walked to the address that she had walked passed a million times. She couldn't just walk into the building because there was a door guy. Cooper walked around to the back of the building and found a back door. She pushed on the door and was shocked when it popped open. No alarms were going off so she was okay. She ran up the back stairs. She ran up the stairs until she became winded. She stopped and took a breather.

Cooper was only two floors away from where she needed to be. She slowly climbed the last two flights of stairs and pulled open the door. She looked around and when she saw no one stumbled into the hallway. Her head was really pounding now. She walked to the apartment door and knocked. When no one answered she knocked again. Cooper knocked a few times before sitting down. She didn't have the strength to stay on her feet anymore. She rested her head against the door and closed her eyes. Cooper was asleep within seconds of closing her eyes.

Olivia came home after Cragen told her to leave. She wasn't able to concentrate and since she refused to tell Cragen why he told her to leave and come back when she could concentrate. She walked into the apartment building and waved hi to the doorman. She took the elevator up to her floor and walked to her apartment. She was shocked when she walked up and saw Cooper sitting against her door. Olivia knelt down and reached out to check if Cooper had a pulse. Cooper jumped when someone touched her. She opened her eyes and looked around frantically. Her eyes fell on Olivia and she sighed.

"Hey Mom," Cooper said. She gave Olivia a half smile. Olivia would have loved the moniker if Cooper didn't look so sick and near death.

"Cooper, what are you doing here? You need to be in the hospital. Come on, I've gotta get you back." Olivia reached down and tried to help Cooper to her feet. Cooper pulled away and fell back to the ground.

"No! No hospital! Hospitals keep records and I'm not going to get caught now." Olivia tried to get Cooper to her feet but Cooper fought her off the best she could. Cooper ended up in a coughing fit. Olivia helped Cooper sit up and slowly rubbed Cooper's back.

"Cooper, no one is going to hurt you at the hospital… Look, I don't know what happened to you in foster care but I promise your not going to have to go back there. We will find a way but you are going to die if you don't let the doctors at the hospital help you." Cooper looked at Olivia and could see that everything she was saying was true. Cooper leaned towards Olivia. Olivia sat down and let Cooper lean against her. Cooper had become really good at reading people.

"Will you stay with me?" Tears sprang to Olivia's eyes. She nodded and wrapped her arms around Cooper.

"I'll never leave you again." Cooper rested her head against Olivia's chest and could hear Olivia's heartbeat. Olivia's heartbeat calmed Cooper down. Cooper pulled away but then leaned back against her.

"I don't feel so good, mom." Olivia looked down at Cooper's face and could see her fighting to stay awake. She could see the pain etched across Cooper's forehead.

"I know baby, I know. Come on, let's go." Olivia helped Cooper to her feet. She helped Cooper downstairs and into her car. Olivia drove quickly to the hospital. She had a thing or two to talk to the doctors and nurses about. She wanted answers to how a child could escape without anyone noticing. Olivia glanced over at Cooper and could see she was sleeping. She wasn't sure if Cooper had passed out or not. Olivia reached over and felt Cooper's forehead. She was burning up. Olivia pushed the gas a little harder.

Olivia pulled into the hospital parking lot. She went over to Cooper's side and opened the door. She bent down and shook Cooper's shoulder. When Cooper didn't wake up Olivia shook her a little harder. Cooper still didn't wake up so Olivia reached up to make sure she was still breathing. When Olivia felt a pulse she let out the breath she was holding. Olivia unbuckled Cooper and lifted her out of the car. She was shocked that Cooper didn't seem to weight too much. She carried her into the hospital and she was immediately bombarded by doctors. Cooper was lifted from her arms and Olivia missed holding her.

"Detective Benson, how did you find Cooper?" Olivia looked at Dr. Kensington.

"She showed up at my doorstep… Look Doc, Cooper is worried about being sent back into foster care. I promised her I would stay with her." Dr. Kensington looked at Olivia and nodded. He wasn't going to chance Cooper running again and them not getting her back in time.

"Okay, you're going to have to wear special gear so your germs don't contaminate Cooper… Detective Benson, is there something you're not telling me? You seem to have an awful lot of interest in Cooper."

"Let's just say that Cooper is a special case. Can we go see her now?" Dr. Kensington led Olivia back to where they were setting up Cooper. He handed Olivia the clothes she had to wear and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.

Olivia went to change while they finished helping Cooper. Olivia came out of the bathroom and Dr. Kensington handed Olivia a mask. She put the mask on and followed Dr. Kensington into Cooper's room. Olivia walked over and brushed some hair off of Cooper's forehead. Dr. Kensington checked all of Cooper's machines.

"Okay, well I will leave you two to get some sleep. I've ordered for another bed to be brought in… Detective Benson, I'm still not sure what your hiding but Cooper seems like a sweet girl that's been given a hard life. I can make her better in here but she's gonna need help out there and I hope you can do that." Olivia nodded and watched as Dr. Kensington left. Once she was sure he was gone she pulled up the mask and kissed Cooper's forehead.

A couple of orderlies brought in the bed for Olivia. She thanked them before pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Cooper's bed. She took Cooper's hand and ran her thumb over the back of it. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Olivia stayed in the chair all night. She woke up when someone tapped her on the shoulder the next morning.

"Good morning," Olivia said. Dr. Kensington was checking Cooper's machines.

"Morning, how are you feeling this morning?" Olivia stretched and sat up. Cooper was still sleeping.

"Okay, how's Cooper?" Dr. Kensington checked one last machine.

"She is still stable. Like I said we won't know for a few days. Her running was a setback but hopefully she will stay now." Olivia nodded and sat forward. She ran her gloved hand over Cooper's forehead. Cooper's eyes fluttered before she opened them.

"Hey there, how you feeling?" Dr. Kensington asked. Cooper looked at him before moving towards Olivia. Olivia stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. Cooper looked over before leaning her head against Olivia's arm.

"What's going on?" Cooper looked between Dr. Kensington and Olivia.

"Your back in the hospital. You ran away and showed up at my house… I know you didn't want to come back but I couldn't let you die." Cooper nodded and moved so she was leaning back against her pillow.

"I know, it's okay. How am I doing, Doc?" Dr. Kensington marked something in Cooper's chart.

"I'm gonna have a nurse take some blood so we can test it. Your arm is looking a little better. Only time will tell." Cooper nodded and watched Dr. Kensington leave. She looked over at Olivia who was staring down at her.

"Hey, thanks for saving me… again." Olivia nodded and reached for Cooper's hand.

"I wasn't gonna let you die. Even if you weren't my daughter… Listen Cooper, I know we have a lot to work out but I want to be a part of your life. The doctor is gonna do a blood test and hopefully that will confirm that you're my daughter." Cooper nodded.

"Okay… why didn't you want me before?" Olivia looked at Cooper's face and then down at the bed. Cooper wasn't sure why she'd blurted that out but she needed to know.

"That's a long story, that should be saved for another time." Cooper looked over as the door opened. Olivia was still staring down at the bed.

A nurse walked in and drew blood. Cooper cringed as she stuck the needle in her arm. Olivia slightly smiled when Cooper reached out for her hand. Once the nurse left Cooper looked at their conjoined hands Olivia was shocked when she didn't pull her hand away. Cooper stared up at the ceiling. She was still really tired. She yawned and leaned her head to the side. Olivia reached over and ran her fingers through Cooper's hair. Cooper's eyelids drooped a few times before eventually staying closed. Olivia waited a few minutes before pulling her hand out of Cooper's and leaving the room. She needed to call Cragen but didn't want to wake Cooper. She stepped into the hallway and pulled out her phone. She dialed Cragen's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?" Cragen answered.

"Hey Cap, listen there was an issue at the hospital and I needed to stop by to see Cooper. Is there any way I can take the day off?" Olivia could hear Cragen moving towards the door of his office. She waited with baited breath for his answer.

"Yes, that should be fine… Olivia, is there something going on?" Olivia didn't know what to do. She wanted to shout from the rooftop that Cooper was her daughter but until she had proof she didn't know if she should say anything.

"Is there any way you can stop by the hospital later? I have something I need to talk to you about." Olivia looked in the window and Cooper was still sleeping.

"Sure, I'll bring lunch. Say around 12:30." Olivia nodded but then realized that Cragen couldn't see her.

"Okay, thanks Cap. I'll see you then." Olivia hung up her phone and then went to find a nurses station. She knew she'd have to change into new sterile clothes.

While Olivia was gone a nurse came into change one of Cooper's IVs. Cooper woke up and looked around. She couldn't find Olivia and her heartbeat started to go faster. Olivia had left her again. How could someone else want her when her own mother left her twice? Cooper began to pick at her IVs trying to pull them out. She had to get outta there. The nurse fought with Cooper but Cooper kept pushing her away.

"Get off me! Let me go! I'm not staying here!" Cooper yelled. She pulled both IVs out of her arm and tried to get off the bed. The nurse hit the nurse call button to get someone else to help her.

"You need to stay in bed. You're still very sick. You'll die if you leave!" Cooper still tried to get up.

"Who cares! I want to DIE! My own mother doesn't want me, no one else is gonna care if I'm alive! I don't even care if I'm ALIVE! Now let me go!" Cooper managed to push the nurse off long enough to get into bed. Three more nurses and Olivia came running in. Olivia had heard everything Cooper said. Tears ran down her face. Cooper had tears streaming down her face too. The four nurses were all forcing Cooper back into bed. Olivia pushed through them and wrapped her arms around Cooper.

"I do want you, okay? I always wanted you and I do care if you're alive! I need you to live! Please, baby, let them help you." Cooper wrapped her arms around Olivia and buried her face in Olivia's shoulder. Olivia let Cooper and herself cry for a few minutes before pulling away and wiping the tears from Cooper's face.

Olivia helped Cooper back into bed and sat down next to her. She kept her arm wrapped around Cooper's shoulder as the nurse redid both of Cooper's IVs. Cooper leaned into Olivia and Olivia kissed the top of Cooper's head. Olivia and Cooper sat with each other while all the nurses did everything. When the nurses left Olivia moved Cooper and then turned so they were facing each other. Cooper stared down at her hands and picked at the blanket wrapped around her legs. Olivia reached out and took both of Cooper's hands in her own.

"Cooper, what you said before. Why did you say those horrible things about yourself? How can you not care if you're alive?" Cooper didn't look up at Olivia. She just kept staring down.

"I was just upset… I thought you had left me again. You know, maybe the parent isn't ready to be a parent when you first go into foster care but have the same parent leave you twice, there has to be something wrong with you. Not to mention if your parents don't want you then no one else is gonna care if you live or die. Why should you?" Olivia scooted closer to Cooper and reached out to lift her chin. Cooper looked up at Olivia and could see tears in her eyes.

"Cooper, the reason I gave you away had nothing to do with me not wanting you. Not to mention that I'm here to stay. I'm not going to leave you, ever. You won't be able to get rid of me if you try… Now I don't want to hear anymore about you dying, okay? And if you ever say you wanna die again, I'm gonna beat your butt so hard you won't be able to sit for a week, you hear me?" Cooper nodded and reached up to wipe a tear off Olivia's cheek.

"Okay… so, what's going to happen to me once I'm released from the hospital?" Cooper asked.

"Well, I know you have been living on your own for quite some time now and you probably don't need a mother to hover over you but maybe we could be roommates. You can come stay with me and we can work on becoming friends." Cooper nodded and then looked down at the blankets.

"Okay, but I could really use a last name and a family. I mean since you are my mom maybe we could be a family and you could act like my mom and hover over me." Cooper looked up at Olivia as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Cooper.

"I would love that so much, sweetheart." Cooper hugged Olivia back and sighed. She was worried about Olivia not wanting her.

"Can I ask you something?" Cooper asked. Olivia nodded but Cooper didn't continue right away.

"What is it?" Olivia brushed some hair off Cooper's forehead. Her heart broke as she felt how hot Cooper's forehead was.

"How did you know you were my mom?" Olivia smiled and then reached over to her bag. She pulled the bag up onto the bed and pulled out Cooper's photo album.

"They found this with your stuff at the precinct. It's full of news articles of me… Can I ask you something now?" Cooper nodded and took the book from Olivia. Cooper flipped through it and opened it to a page that had a photo of Olivia holding her as a baby. Olivia had missed the page because it was folded under. Olivia stared at the picture and lost her train of thought.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Cooper asked when the silence became too much.

"Oh, uhm, how did you know I was your mother?" Olivia looked up at Cooper and Cooper smiled.

"You're not going to like the answer to that… I stole my file from my social worker." Olivia laughed and so did Cooper. The laughter didn't last long as Cooper broke into a coughing fit. Olivia instantly moved so she could rub Cooper's back to make her feel better. She grabbed the cup of water one of the nurses left and helped Cooper take a sip.

"Wow, my daughter the thief. Kinda funny considering I'm a detective." Cooper nodded and smiled at Olivia again.

"Yea, it was my first heist. It told me everything I wanted to know about you. I've been tracking your career for as long as I can remember. It became easier once I was on my own." Olivia looked down at Cooper. She wondered what had been so bad that it made Cooper run away from foster care.

"Cooper, why did you run away?" Cooper looked down at the book and closed it. She didn't like talking about her past.

"That's a long story. One that should be told later." Olivia had to smile as Cooper used the same excuse she had. Cooper fought back a yawn and Olivia knew Cooper needed a nap.

"Funny, I won't push but eventually do you promise to tell me?" Cooper nodded but then sat up and turned to face Olivia.

"Yes, as long as you promise to tell me why you gave me up." Olivia nodded and then leaned forward and gave Cooper a hug.

"Okay, my little thief, back under the covers. Someone needs her rest and I could use a nap." Cooper smiled at the moniker and then crawled back under the covers. Olivia stood up and covered Cooper up before going over to her own bed. Cooper watched Olivia get comfortable on her bed before closing her eyes and letting sleep take over.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I was feeling nice so here is the next chapter even though it's early. This may mean the next chapter may be a little late. Have a lot going on but I'm working on it.**

Olivia and Cooper were both sleeping soundly when someone knocked on the door. Olivia woke up first and looked over to see Cooper still sleeping. She got up and walked over to the door. She was surprised to see Cragen standing there but then she remembered they were going to have lunch. Olivia looked back at Cooper and noticed she was still asleep. She walked over and grabbed Cooper's photo album before she slipped out the door and shut it behind her.

"Hey Olivia, I brought sandwiches, is that okay?" Cragen asked. Olivia nodded and pulled off her gloves.

"Sounds good, is it okay if we eat on the bench? Cooper tends to freak out if I'm not within sight." Cragen nodded. He was confused as to why Cooper would freak out but also knew victims did strange things in certain situations.

"So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Olivia handed over the photo album and watched as Cragen looked at it. He looked at her confused and she reached over and opened the first page. Cragen's eyes grew wide as he saw the news article.

"She's my daughter. I gave her up two days after she was born… We haven't had any DNA test done but I know that she's mine. I can feel it." Cragen nodded and closed the book.

"Wow, Olivia, I don't know what to say… You never mentioned having a child. Does anyone else know?" Olivia nodded.

"My mom knew and Finn knows. Plus the officers that went through Cooper's bag know. They were the ones to find the book." Cragen nodded and then looked through the window at Cooper. She was sleeping but Cragen could see how she looked like Olivia.

"Is this why you were so distracted last night?" Olivia nodded. She was watching Cooper.

"Yea, the doctors weren't sure if she was going to survive… She's a fighter. She managed to escape and show up on my doorstep. I found her after you sent me home. She fought me on coming back but I promised I wouldn't leave her. When I did leave for a minute she freaked out and tried to leave again. She was screaming about how it didn't matter if she lived because her mother didn't want her… Cragen I can't let her get away from me again. I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to her." Cragen nodded. Both were watching Cooper.

"Why don't you take a few days off and get Cooper situated? Do you know how long she'll be here?" Olivia shrugged.

"The doctor said he wouldn't know anything until she starts to get better." Cragen looked at Olivia and could see the love in her eyes. Olivia looked happier then he'd ever seen but he could also see the worry.

"She's going to be okay, like you said she's a fighter, like her mama." Olivia smiled at Cragen before leaning over and giving him a hug. Cragen loved Olivia like a daughter and he knew that if she got to know Cooper he'd love her like a granddaughter.

"Thanks, so let's eat." Cragen nodded and handed Olivia her sandwich. Olivia and Cragen ate in relative silence.

Once they were done eating Cragen left and Olivia slipped back into the room. She was thankful that Cooper didn't seem to wake up while she was gone. Olivia sat down in the chair next to Cooper's bed. She opened the photo album and looked through it again.

"That articles my favorite. You really nailed that guy," Cooper said. Olivia looked up from the book and smiled.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Cooper shrugged and then cringed.

"My arm hurts. My side kind of hurts too but I'm not sure why." Olivia nodded and then reached over and lifted the blankets. Cooper curled up as the cold air hit her legs. She lifted Cooper's gown and saw that her whole side was bruised.

"Your side is really bruised up. I'm gonna call the doctor." Cooper nodded as Olivia covered Cooper back up.

Olivia pushed the nurse call button and waited for someone to answer. The nurse answered and Olivia asked for the doctor to come in. Dr. Kensington came in a few minutes later.

"Hello ladies, is everything okay?" Dr. Kensington asked.

"My side hurts, Olivia said it's really bruised up." Olivia was a little heartbroken about the fact that Cooper called her Olivia and not mom but she wasn't going to let it show.

"Let's check it out." Dr. Kensington checked Cooper's side and could tell she had at least two broken ribs. He was going to send her for x-rays to make sure it was only two.

"What's it look like?" Cooper asked, She wiggled around so she could see her side but it only caused her more pain.

"Well, it looks like you have two broken ribs. I'm gonna send you for x-rays just to be sure. Did you do anything to your side that you can remember?" Cooper looked at Olivia.

"I fell on a bench. I didn't realize I hit it that hard." Dr. Kensington nodded and left to tell the nurse about the x-rays.

"Did that happen when that cop dropped you?" Cooper shrugged. She knew it was from then but technically it was her fault that she fell. She had kicked the cop so he would drop her.

The nurse came in and took Cooper for x-rays. The nurse brought Cooper back and Olivia was on her phone. The nurse went about hooking Cooper up to all the machines and Olivia stepped into the hallway. She was on the phone with Finn giving him the rundown on Cooper but also telling him to kick the ass of the cop that had dropped Cooper on the bench. Olivia walked back into the room and Cooper watched her.

"How you feeling?" Cooper shrugged. Her body hurt but her fever had gone down so it wasn't affecting her as much.

"Okay, who were you talking to?" Olivia sat down on the bed next to Cooper.

"My friend Finn. I was just filling him in on what was going on." Cooper nodded and then leaned against Olivia.

"Does Finn know who I am?" Olivia nodded and ran her fingers through Cooper's hair.

"Yea, he was the one that confirmed it for me." Cooper looked up at Olivia confused.

"Confirmed it?" Olivia nodded and reached for her bag. She pulled out Cooper's necklace and handed it to her.

"Mackenzie gave me this. I knew as soon as I saw it who you were." Cooper took the necklace and ran her fingers over her name.

"You gave this to me when I was born. I've never taken it off until now." Olivia kissed the top of Cooper's head.

"Yea, why did you take it off?" Cooper shrugged.

"I'd given up hope that I'd ever have a family. I thought maybe it could give someone else hope. I always felt connected to you because of this necklace, I thought maybe it could help Mackenzie too." Olivia blinked her eyes to stop the tears from falling. She watched as Cooper played with the necklace.

"Cooper…" Olivia was cut off when Dr. Kensington walked back into the room.

"Well Cooper, my fears were confirmed. You have two broken ribs on your left side. I'm going to have to wrap your ribs. It will be uncomfortable but should help with the pain." Cooper nodded and sat up. Olivia moved so she was out of way and went to stand by the window.

Dr. Kensington wrapped up Cooper's ribs and then gave her some medicine to help with the pain. Olivia was lost in thought staring out the window. Cooper watched her for a few minutes before going back to staring at her necklace. She slipped it back on before sliding out of bed. She leaned on the IV pole and slowly made her way over to Olivia. Olivia didn't even notice Cooper was coming until Cooper tapped her on the shoulder. Olivia turned around and almost knocked Cooper over.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Olivia asked. She ushered Cooper back to bed and helped her get back under the covers.

"I wanted to see the view. You seemed to like it since you've been standing there for the last five minutes." Olivia looked back at the window.

"I was just thinking… So I know before we were talking about you having given up hope on having a family." Cooper nodded and looked over at Olivia.

"It's not an issue anymore because now I have a family." Cooper reached for Olivia's hand and squeezed it. Olivia moved so she was sitting next to Cooper on the bed. She leaned over and kissed the top of Cooper's head.

"I love you," Olivia said. Cooper looked up at Olivia and smiled. She didn't really know how to respond. Yes, she loved Olivia but she wasn't ready to admit that.

Cooper slid down in the bed so she was lying down. She was getting tired from the medicine. Olivia scooted down next to her and wrapped her arm around Cooper. Cooper leaned her head on Olivia's shoulder and closed her eyes. She fell into a deep sleep and for the first time in a long time she felt safe where she was. Olivia made her feel safe.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Life has been crazy with school and work. Anyway, here is the chapter everyone has been waiting for!**

Cooper was stuck in the hospital for a week before Dr. Kensington felt she was okay enough to be released. Olivia and Cooper's secret had come out. Dr. Kensington reported Cooper to the children's services along with a report that said that Olivia was Cooper's mother. Olivia was given custody of Cooper because she had nowhere else to go and Olivia never signed over her rights. A loophole that let them stay together when otherwise Cooper would have been put back in foster care. Cooper was glad that she got to stay with Olivia but she was really scared at the same time. What if Olivia found out about Cooper's past and realized she didn't want Cooper anymore? Cooper couldn't live on the streets anymore.

Olivia took Cooper to her apartment. Olivia had recently upgraded her apartment to a two bedroom. She wanted to have an extra room incase anything happened and she had to take someone in. After the Calvin incident Olivia wanted to be ready for anything. Cooper looked around the apartment. It wasn't huge but it was better than what Cooper was used to. Cooper walked around and ran her hand over everything. Olivia watched with an amused look on her face. Cooper finally made her way back to Olivia. Their eyes met but Cooper immediately looked away.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have touched your stuff." Olivia bent down so she was Cooper's height and lifted Cooper's chin.

"It's your stuff too now." Cooper nodded and smiled at Olivia. She could feel butterflies in her stomach and wasn't sure how she felt about Olivia's statement.

"I'm tired, can I see where I'm sleeping?" Olivia nodded. She led Cooper to the guest room. She carried Cooper's bag and made a mental note that they needed to go shopping sooner rather than later. She set Cooper's bag on the bed and unzipped it. Cooper grabbed Olivia's hand before she could reach inside. Olivia looked at Cooper and Cooper looked angry. Cooper's face immediately softened. She sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to people touching my things." Olivia nodded and sat down next to Cooper. She slowly wrapped her arm around Cooper's shoulder.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have tried to put your things away without permission." After a minute Cooper moved her head so it was leaning against Olivia's shoulder. Olivia leaned her head against Cooper's and they sat there in silence.

"I guess we just have to learn more about each other," Cooper said. Cooper reached across Olivia and pulled her bag into her lap. She reached inside and after digging under all the clothes she pulled out a stuffed goose. Olivia had given her the goose when she was a baby. It was just one more thing Cooper had held onto in hopes of one day finding her mom.

"Is that…?" Cooper nodded and handed the goose to Olivia.

"His name is Feathers. I've had him since… Well you know when." Olivia held Feathers in her hand. She ran her other hand over his head before reaching up and wiping away a tear.

"Please don't cry," Cooper said. She hated seeing Olivia cry. It only made her feel worse about coming back because she was causing Olivia so much pain.

"I'm okay," Olivia said. She stood up and set Feathers down on the bed. Cooper stood up next to her and set her bag down on the floor. Olivia went about turning down the bed while Cooper kicked off her shoes and pulled off her hoodie.

"Okay, you take a nap and when you wake up if it's not too late we're going to go shopping. I'm going to go order us some lunch." Cooper nodded and climbed onto the bed. She grabbed Feathers and sat him in her lap.

"Uhm, could you stay until I fall asleep?" Cooper had never been one for wanting company when she was trying to sleep but having Olivia close seemed to help in the hospital.

Olivia nodded and walked around the bed, She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the bed leaning against the headboard. Cooper lay down and rested her head on Olivia's leg. Olivia was shocked by the closeness. Cooper didn't seem like the touchy feely type and she figured the closeness in the hospital was because she was sick. Olivia pulled the covers over both of them and ran her fingers through Cooper's hair. She watched as Cooper fought off falling asleep but smiled to herself when she heard Cooper's breathing even out and soft snores coming from her daughter. Olivia leaned back and tried to get as comfortable as possible. She knew that she could probably get up and leave but she really didn't want to. Olivia closed her eyes after a few minutes and slowly fell asleep.

Olivia woke up when she couldn't feel Cooper's head under her hand. She looked around and Cooper was nowhere to be seen. Olivia hopped out of bed and took off out of the room. She ran into the living room to see Cooper sitting on the couch. She stopped and slowly walked over to where Cooper was sitting. Olivia sat down next to Cooper. Cooper was curled up on the end of the couch with her head resting on her knees. She was sound asleep. Olivia knew this position couldn't be comfortable. Cooper still had two broken ribs and her shoulder hadn't fully healed. Olivia reached out remove some hair from Cooper's face. Cooper jumped and her eyes snapped open. Olivia pulled her hand back and felt guilty when she saw the pain in Cooper's eyes.

"Hey, what'cha doing?" Cooper wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and straightened up.

"Nothing, I couldn't sleep." Olivia nodded and brushed some hair off of Cooper's face. She tucked it behind Cooper's ear and realized that Cooper's ears were really red and hot. She moved her hand forward and felt Cooper's forehead. Her forehead was warm and Olivia became concerned.

"You feeling okay?" Cooper nodded and ducked away from Olivia's hand.

"Yea, I'm fine… I'm kinda hungry though." Olivia smiled and nodded. She got up to go order lunch for both of them. She wasn't going to overly worry about Cooper. She'd give her some medicine after lunch and then just keep a close eye on her.

Olivia ordered the food in the kitchen and came back out to find Cooper asleep again. She had moved so she was lying down. Her one leg was falling off the couch and her arm hung over the edge. Olivia smiled and grabbed her phone. She snapped a few pictures thankful the phone was on silent before moving to reposition Cooper's leg. She was about to touch Cooper when she remembered how jumpy Cooper was and decided to leave her where she was. If Cooper was uncomfortable she would move. Olivia sat down in the chair catty corner to the couch and flipped through a magazine.

The doorbell rang and Olivia looked over at Cooper who was beginning to stir. She stood up and went to answer the door. She paid the delivery driver for the food and walked back towards the living room. Cooper was still sleeping on the couch. Olivia was shocked the doorbell hadn't woke her up. She reached down and felt Cooper's forehead again. This caused Cooper to jump. Cooper let out a hiss as she pushed herself up. Olivia immediately set the food down to help her sit up.

Once Olivia got Cooper situated to where she was comfortable she took the food into the kitchen. She made up two plates with Chinese food on them. She had gotten a variety of food not sure whether Cooper's liked Chinese food. Olivia handed Cooper a plate of food and Cooper looked at it before sniffing it.

"What is it?" Olivia sat down next to Cooper with her own plate.

"Chinese food, if you don't like it you don't have to eat." Cooper nodded and took a tentative bite. She slow smile spread on her lips as she began to shovel more food into her mouth. When her plate was empty she set it on the coffee table.

"That was good." Olivia smiled at Cooper and set her empty plate next to Cooper's.

"Would you like some more? We have plenty." Cooper shook her head. She didn't want to eat all of Olivia's food. What if by asking for more Olivia thought she was selfish?

"I'm okay… Can I get some water?" Olivia nodded and stood up. Cooper stood up and grabbed the plates before following Olivia into the kitchen. She set the plates on the counter before taking the cup of water that Olivia handed her.

Once Cooper had drunk her water she walked over to the sink and began running water to wash the dishes. Olivia watched Cooper wash the dinner dishes before setting them in the drying rack. When Cooper was done washing the dishes even the ones Olivia had sitting in there from the previous day she wiped her hands on her pants. She left hand prints all the way down her pants.

"So, we need to go shopping. Are you feeling up for that?" Cooper nodded and Olivia pushed herself off the counter she'd been leaning on. Cooper walked past Olivia and Olivia pulled Cooper to her before planting a kiss on top of Cooper's head.

"What was that for?" Cooper asked.

"Just for being you." Cooper smiled up at Olivia and Olivia smiled back before letting Cooper go.

Cooper and Olivia left the apartment and headed down to Olivia's car. Olivia didn't really know where to take Cooper shopping because she didn't know Cooper's style of if she even had a style. Olivia finally decided that the local mall would have to do and once she figured out what Cooper's style was she could pick more specific places. Olivia pulled up to the mall and they headed inside. Cooper just looked around before turning to look at Olivia.

"Now what?" Olivia gave Cooper a sad smile.

"We shop!" Olivia grabbed Cooper's hand and pulled her towards a store she thought Cooper might like.

Olivia and Cooper walked around the first store. Cooper looked at a few items but didn't touch anything. She figured they were shopping for Olivia and as much as she wanted new clothes she didn't have any money. She knew her old way of getting clothes wouldn't go over well with Olivia. Olivia watched Cooper waiting to see if she was going to pick out some clothing.

"See anything you like?" Cooper shrugged and grabbed a shirt she thought would look good on Olivia.

"You'd look good in this." Olivia took the shirt and hung it back up. She grabbed a shirt that Cooper would look good in and held it up.

"This shopping trip isn't about me. You need some more clothes." Olivia handed Cooper the shirt and Cooper looked at it before handing it back.

"I'm okay, I have enough clothes." Olivia shook her head and grabbed another shirt she liked.

"I'm buying you new clothes whether I pick it all out or not." Cooper looked at Olivia before walking over and picking up a plaid button down shirt. It was in the male section but Olivia thought Cooper would look cute in it.

Cooper picked out a few more shirts and a couple pair of jeans before walking back to Olivia who had some shirts of her own. Olivia pushed Cooper towards the dressing room. Cooper tried on all the clothes they had grabbed and she picked out four shirts that she liked. She didn't like the way the jeans fit but loved the plaid button down. Olivia took Cooper to a few more stores before she was certain that Cooper had enough clothes to get her through. Olivia finally took Cooper to a shoe store so she could get some new shoes. Olivia saw Cooper's eyes light up. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

"So, I was thinking two pairs of gym shoes and then maybe a pair of sandals and a pair of casual shoes?" Olivia asked. Cooper looked at Olivia like she was crazy.

"I don't need that many pairs. Just a pair of gym shoes is fine." Olivia rolled her eyes as she pushed Cooper further into the store.

Olivia and Cooper shopped into the shoe store for almost an hour. Cooper ended up with more shoes than she thought she needed. She also got a few hoodies, a few pairs of basketball shorts and a few pair of sweat pants. Cooper didn't know what she was going to do with all this clothes. She was used to only having a couple of shirts and pair of jeans.

Once they were done in the shoe store Cooper collapsed on a bench outside the door. She was having fun shopping but her ribs were killing her. She had run out of energy after the first store. She'd never tell Olivia that because she seemed to be having a good time. Olivia sat down next to Cooper and noticed that Cooper had a look of pain across her face. Olivia didn't even think about Cooper's injuries. She stood back up and began collecting bags. Cooper shouldn't be carrying anything so Olivia took all the bags.

"What are you doing?" Cooper asked. She sat up and grimaced as her body protested the move.

"We're going home. I shouldn't have taken you out this long. You're ribs are still healing and I can tell by the look on your face that you're in pain." Cooper stood up and went to take some bags from Olivia.

"No, I've got them." Cooper held her hands up in surrender and followed Olivia towards the mall entrance.

Olivia and Cooper were almost out of the mall when Cooper stopped walking. Olivia looked behind her and stopped walking. Cooper was staring into a store called, 'Lids'. Olivia walked back over to where Cooper was standing. She just watched as Cooper stared into the store before she headed inside. Cooper walked over to where the baseball hats were. She reached out and picked up a Yankees hat. Cooper held the hat in her hands and spun it around.

"Do you like that?" Cooper jumped as Olivia pulled her out of her trance.

"I, uh… I used to have one just like it. I've always wanted another one but they are expensive." Cooper put the hat back and backed away. She headed for the store entrance when she heard Olivia.

"I'll take two of these." Cooper looked back as Olivia bought two Yankees hats.

Olivia paid for the hats and then grabbed the bags again. She walked out of the store and waited for Cooper to follow. Cooper walked out behind Olivia and followed her to the car. Cooper was quiet the whole way back to Olivia's. She couldn't believe Olivia had spent that much money on her. Cooper had never had anyone spend that much money on her. She had never had anyone spend any money on her. When she was in foster care most foster parents only used the money the state gave them to buy Cooper a few items that she needed. When Cooper left the system she would either steal items of clothing or use the money she gained from working odd jobs.

Olivia and Cooper walked into the apartment. Olivia took all Cooper's new clothes and set the bags by the couch. She needed to remove the tags and wash all the clothes before Cooper could wear them. Cooper sat down on the couch. She was still holding the 'Lids' bag in her hand. Olivia looked over at Cooper who was staring down at the bag in her hands.

"You okay?" Olivia asked. She brushed some hair behind Cooper's ear.

"Huh? Oh, yea, thanks for all this." Cooper used to hand to point to all the items scattered at their feet.

"My pleasure. I'm gonna take the tags off everything and wash it so you can start wearing it tomorrow. For tonight you can borrow something to sleep in." Cooper nodded and smiled at Olivia before looking down at the bag in her hands.

"Why'd you buy two hats?" Cooper asked. Olivia looked over before reaching over and took the bag from Cooper. She pulled the hats our and placed one on Cooper's head before putting the other on her own.

"So we both have one." Cooper smiled as she reached up and adjusted her hat. She looked at Olivia's and reached over to adjust the hat. When she had it in the perfect position she pulled her hands back.

"Perfect!" Olivia smiled and reached over to run her hand down Cooper's cheek.

"So, you said you had a hat when you were younger. It must have meant something to you. What happened to it?" Cooper shrugged and looked down at her lap.

"Someone jacked it one night when I was sleeping rough… A friend gave it to me when I was 10. I would sit on his fire escape and listen to the games through his window. He didn't know at first. Once he figured it out I thought he was going to call the cops. Instead he handed me the hat and told me as long as I cheered for the Yankees I could listen anytime I wanted. He owns a bar down by the stadium." Olivia smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek. She was happy Cooper was sharing with her and she was also happy that Cooper had someone be nice to her. Olivia wasn't thrilled about hearing about her daughter living rough.

"That sound nice... I mean the part about the guy giving you the hat not the sleeping rough part." Cooper smiled at Olivia before a yawned escaped her. Olivia knew Cooper had to be tired after a long day of shopping. She scolded herself for keeping Cooper out so long when she was just out of the hospital.

"Why don't you go lie down while I get dinner sorted out and the laundry started?" Cooper nodded and went to stand up. Her body protested and she flopped back down on the couch. Olivia looked over concerned. She sat up and reached out to help Cooper sit up.

"My body says sleeping here sounds good." Cooper curled up on the couch and leaned forward to rest her head on Olivia's leg. Olivia reached down and ran her hand through Cooper's hair. She tried to remove the hat from Cooper's head but Cooper clapped her hand down on top of it. Olivia smiled before putting the hat back on Cooper's head. She stretched out her legs and rested her feet on the coffee table. Cooper moved her head so Olivia could get comfortable before she wrapped one of her arms around Olivia's legs.

Cooper fell asleep quickly. Olivia knew she had things that needed to be done but also loved just being with Cooper. The clothes could wait until the evening. She reached over and grabbed her phone off the end table. Pizza sounded good for dinner. She needed to go to the store and get food but that could be an adventure for another day. She was off for the week. No need to do everything all in one day.

Cooper slept for almost two hours before Olivia woke her up. She wanted Cooper to be able to sleep at night. Plus she really needed to use the restroom. She rubbed Cooper's cheek and was surprised when Cooper didn't wake right up. Olivia tapped Cooper's cheek and Cooper slowly woke up. She pushed herself up and groaned as her ribs protested the movement. Olivia reached over and fixed Cooper's hair while Cooper rubbed her eyes. Cooper's hat was sitting on the end table. It fell off when Cooper shifted positions.

"Hey Little One, how'd you sleep?" Cooper looked at Olivia and was shocked that she was still in the same position as when Cooper fell asleep.

"Good, sorry I fell asleep on you. I know you had things to do. I can help with the laundry." Olivia shook her head and smiled.

"It's no problem. I'm off all week. Nothing has to be done this minute… Besides I like being with you even if you are asleep." Cooper looked down but smiled at the same time.

Olivia noticed Cooper's cheek turn pink. She smiled before leaning forward and kissing the top of Cooper's head. Cooper looked up before reaching over Olivia and grabbing one of the shopping bags. She began pulling the clothes out and removing tags. Olivia watched for a minute before she began doing the same thing. Olivia loved seeing Cooper's independent side but also wished she wasn't so independent.

After all the tags were removed Olivia took the clothes to the washer. That was one thing she loved about her new apartment was she had a washer and dryer in her unit. Cooper stayed on the couch. Her side was really hurting. She knew the wrap on her ribs had loosened up and needed to be fixed. Olivia walked back into the living room and could tell by the look on Cooper's face that she was hurting. Olivia glanced at the clock and noticed that Cooper could take more medicine. She walked into the kitchen to grab some medicine and water. She brought them back to Cooper who gave her an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, do you think you could rewrap my ribs? The wrap is loose." Olivia nodded and sat down next to Cooper. Cooper sat up and pulled her shirt up. Olivia didn't want to hurt Cooper but knew the pressure on Cooper's ribs helped with the pain. Olivia took the wrap off before rewrapping Cooper's midsection.

"That better?" Cooper nodded.

She leaned back against the couch. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and help with the pain. Olivia watched as Cooper fought off tears. She could see Cooper's eyes get misty as the pain ran through her body. She felt bad for having Cooper out so long. Cooper could feel Olivia's eyes on her. She leaned over and rested her head on Olivia's chest. Olivia's arms immediately wrapped around Cooper. She kissed the top of her head as she felt the hot tears come from Cooper's eyes. Olivia ran her fingers through Cooper's hair and kept kissing the top of Cooper's head. She knew Cooper's medicine must have started working.

"You okay?" Olivia asked. Cooper nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Yea, the pain is slowly going away. Would it be okay if I took a shower?" Olivia nodded and stood up. She reached her hand to help Cooper up.

Cooper stood up with Olivia's help and leaned into Olivia as they walked to the bathroom. Olivia turned the shower on for Cooper and then walked out of the bathroom after handing her a towel. Cooper took her clothes off and then unwrapped her ribs. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her head. The hot water felt good running down her back. It helped loosen up the muscles that were tight. Cooper let the water run over her head for a while before grabbing Olivia's body wash. She sniffed it to see what it smelt like before washing her body. Cooper tried to wash her hair but realized reaching above her head wasn't an option. She groaned in frustration before forcing her arm above her head to wash her hair. Cooper gasped as her ribs protested.

"Everything okay?" Cooper heard Olivia yell through the door.

"Yea, just washing my hair." Cooper finished washing her hair and then turned the water off and climbed out of the shower. Her pajamas were sitting on the vanity along with a clean towel. Cooper dried off and then stared at herself in the mirror. Her whole torso was bruised up. The bruises got darker where her ribs were broken. She lightly brushed the towel over her bruises and hissed when it hurt.

Cooper got dressed after the pain subsided and then opened the bathroom door. She walked out with the wrap in her hands. Olivia looked up from her position on the couch. She smiled at Cooper as Cooper walked over and sat down next to her. Cooper handed the wrap to Olivia who took it and rewrapped Cooper's ribs. Cooper leaned back against the couch before resting her head on Olivia's shoulder. Olivia kissed the top of Cooper's head before leaning her own head against Cooper's. She didn't really care that Cooper's hair was getting her shirt all wet. Cooper sat up after a few minutes before pushing herself off the couch. Olivia watched Cooper walk into the spare room only to return a few seconds later with a brush in her hands. She came back over and sat down next to Olivia with the brush in her hands.

"I, uh, was wondering if you could…" Cooper held up the brush and waved it around.

"I'd love too." Olivia took the brush and then moved so she was sitting behind Cooper who was sitting on the edge of the couch.

Once Olivia was positioned behind Cooper she ran the brush through Cooper's hair. She brushed out Cooper's hair before setting the brush on the coffee table. She sniffed Cooper's hair and could smell her shampoo. She was going to let Cooper pick out her own when they went to the grocery store. The doorbell rang and Cooper jumped. She groaned when she twisted and her ribs burned in pain. Olivia wanted to wrap her arms around Cooper but needed to get the door. She climbed over Cooper and went to get the door. Cooper watched from the couch. Olivia could feel Cooper's eyes following her. Olivia looked through the peephole and saw the pizza man. She opened the door and paid for the pizza before carrying it back to the living room. Cooper's eyes still followed her as she set the pizza down. Her eyes flicked towards the door a few times before Olivia sat down.

"The door is locked. No one is coming in." Olivia wrapped an arm around Cooper's shoulder and Cooper leaned into her.

Cooper rested her head on Olivia's chest and could feel Olivia's heart beat. Olivia ran her fingers through Cooper's damp hair. Olivia was shocked that Cooper was willing to let Olivia hug and hold her. Cooper found it weird that she was so willing to let Olivia hold her. She was used to being the person doing the hugging and protecting. It felt nice to put her faith in someone else. Cooper sat up after a few minutes. She leaned forward and took a deep breath. The smell of the pizza was making her mouth water. She looked back at Olivia and her stomach growled. Olivia laughed and then got up to get some plates. Cooper followed her so she could grab some drinks.

Cooper and Olivia ate their pizza before deciding to watch a movie. Olivia put on a movie before sitting down next to Cooper. Cooper leaned into Olivia and Olivia took Cooper's hand and played with her fingers. She had done this the day Cooper was born. She couldn't believe that her daughter was sitting next to her and allowing Olivia to play with her fingers. The movement of Olivia stretching Cooper's fingers was putting Cooper to sleep. Olivia could feel Cooper's head getting heavier against her shoulder. She reached over and grabbed the remote off the end table. She paused the movie.

"Hey, I was watching that," Cooper said. She sounded like she was half asleep.

"Yea, what was going on?" Cooper shrugged and curled up closer to Olivia. Olivia laughed and kissed the top of Cooper's head. She sat up making Cooper sit up with her. Cooper groaned as she tried to get comfortable in their new position.

"Come on, Bug. It's time for bed." Cooper looked up at Olivia. No one had ever really given her a nickname and Olivia seemed to have more than one for her.

"Okay," Cooper said. Cooper sat up before slowly pushing herself off the couch. She walked to her room and crawled onto the bed. She tucked a pillow under her side. It helped even out her side and made her ribs hurt less.

Olivia followed Cooper into the room and pulled the covers up once Cooper was comfortable. She leaned over and kissed the back of Cooper's head. Cooper sighed as she settled down into the covers. She tucked Feathers under her head and closed her eyes. Olivia made sure she was covered up before walking out of the room. She turned the light off but left the door cracked so the hallway light shined in giving the room a little illumination. Olivia was about to walk away when she heard something she never thought she'd hear.

"Love you!" Olivia looked back in the room and Cooper was laying there with her head lifted off her pillow. Olivia walked back in and kissed the side of Cooper's head multiple times.

"I love you, too." Cooper laughed as Olivia kissed her head before laying her head back down.

Olivia left Cooper and went to her own room. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the last few weeks. She wouldn't change any of it for the world. She had her daughter back and nothing or no one was going to take that away from her.


End file.
